ISLAMABAD: Internet services have been restored across Pakistan after it remained suspended for four days following riots over PTI chief Imran Khan’s arrest.
The service has been restored across the country on the instructions of the Ministry of Interior which directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to restore the internet services. The internet services in Pakistan were suspended following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan from within the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday. Protests broke out in different parts of the country after Khan’s arrest. Hundreds of individuals had been arrested and dozens were killed.
According to the PTA, the services were restored in a staggered manner. The PTA said that access to social media platforms as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube has been restored. A spokesperson said that the data service had been suspended as it was helping spread violence in the country.
As a result of the suspension of the internet service, businesses suffered significant losses. Despite calls for the restoration of the internet service from within and outside Pakistan, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said earlier Friday it would remain suspended until people involved in property damage during recent protests were caught.
Calls for restoration of internet service
The Amnesty International termed the mobile internet shutdown for ‘indefinite’ period in the country a “clear violation of people’s rights to access information and free expression”. The restrictions must be lifted immediately, it demanded.
More than 100 members of the business community and civil society also said: “We … are deeply troubled by and condemn the recently ongoing use of partial and complete internet shutdowns, as well as targeted content and app blocking, following the nationwide protests.”
In a joint statement, they said such shutdowns, blocking or filtering of internet services “unjustifiably limit the rights of peaceful assembly and freedoms of association and expression”.
Moreover, tens of millions of Pakistanis who rely on internet services to connect with each other and to undertake essential business activities also criticized the government’s decision to ban the services. They said such disruptions had a negative impact on the businesses.
